Device for stopping leaks in pipes.



PATENTED OCT. 17

T. P. FITZGERALD. DEVICE FOR STOPPING LEAKS IN PIPES.

APPLICATION FILED 00120, 1904.

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PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

T. P. FITZGERALD.

DEVICE FOR STOPPING LEAKS IN PIPES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1904.

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prrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS P. FITZGERALD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AS-

SIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM KENNEDY, ONE-THIRD TO JULIAN It.NOTTINGHAM, AND ONE-THIRD TO MOSES SINSHEIMER, OF WASH- INGTON, DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed October 20, 1904. Serial No- 229,282.

To It whom 'nmy concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Devices forStopping Leaks in Pipes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in IO the art to which it appcrtains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to devices for stopping leaks in pipes,particularly water and gas pipes or mains; and it consists, essentially,is of a jacket or casing having enlarged ends and a filling of leadbetween the fractured pipe and the jacket, the lead filling terminatingat each end of said jacket'in a gasket of lead.

The invention further consists of the novel construction and arrangementof the several parts, as will behereinafter fully described, and brieflystated in the claims.

()ne of the principal objects of the invention is to effect a saving ofboth time and labor in stopping leaks in water and gas pipes and at thesame time provide a simple and effective device for the accomplishmentof this object. I

Other objects will become apparent upon a more complete disclosure ofthe invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal horizontal section of myimproved device applied to the fractured section of pipe; Fig. 2, a sideelevation; Fig. 3, an inner face view of one of the members or sectionscomposing the outer casing; Fig. I, a central transverse sectional view;Fig. 5, a perspective view of the inner sleeve-sections; Fig. 6,'alongitudi- 4o nal horizontal section of a modified form of my invention,and Fig. 7 an inner face View of the modified sections.

Referring to the several views, the numeral 1 indicates a section ofpipe having therein a 4 5 crack or fractured place at, around which maybe closely fitted a metallic sleeve 2, preferably sheet-iron. Thissleeve is preferably made in two sections 3 3, the longitudinal edge ofeach section being bent over to form 5 locking edges 4: t, as shown inFig. These sections are first placed end to end on the pipe, one on theunder side and the other on the I upper side thereof. They are then slidtogether into locking engagement and the bentover portions tightlyhammered together. It will be evident that the sleeve may be made in onepiece and the side edges secured together in any wellknown manner.

Placed around the sleeve is ajacket or casing 5, composed of twosemitubular sections or members 6 6, each section having longitudinallaterally-extending flanges 7 7, provided with holes 8 8 for thereception of bolts 9 9, by means of which the sections are securedtogether. The respective ends of each section are preferably enlarged,so that when bolted together they will form bell-shaped months 10 10.The inner face or wall of each section along the side edges thereof ispreferably provided with longitudinal groovesll 11, which begin at thecenter of the sections and gradually increase in width toward each end.These grooves run the entire length of the sections and are intersectedat the center by an annular groove 12, and a tap-hole or gate 13, madein the uppersection of the jacket, communicates with the annular groove,so that molten lead may be poured into the grooves 11 and 12.

The internal diameter of the jacket is somewhat greater than theexternal diameter of the inner sleeve 2 or of the pipe 1, so as toprovide a suflicient space between the inner sleeve and the jacket orbetween the pipe and jacket, if the sleeve is not used, for a filling oflead 14.

After the inner sleeve has been fitted around the pipe, covering thebreak or crack, and the jacket-sections bolted together and properlypositioned the bell-mouth at each end of the jacket is partially packedwith a suitable packing material 15, care being taken to leave thegrooves 11 open and free for the run of the molten lead. A gasket 16, ofsuitable material, is placed in the extreme outer end of eachbell-mouth, leaving a space or recess 17 between the packing and thegasket, into which the molten lead may run to form gaskets, ashereinafter explained. \Vhen the molten lead is poured through the gate13, it runs into grooves 12 and 11 and into the space between the innersleeve and the jacket, completely filling the same and forming anintermediate sleeve of lead. As the molten lead reaches each end of thecasing it runs over the packing 15 into the space or recess 17, fillingsaid space and forming a gasket of solid lead in the end of eachbell-'mouth around the pipe. WV hen all the grooves and spaces arefilled with the molten lead, it backs up into the gate 13, closing saidopening, and when cooled the lead may be hammered down to form aneffective plug for said gate or opening.

Instead of pouring the molten lead through a central gate in the uppersection of the jacket it may be poured through a gate ar.

ranged at one end of the jacket. In this instance the longitudinalgrooves instead of starting from the center of thejacket and runningtoward each end start from the extreme end of each section thereof andgradually increasing in width terminate at the opposite end, as shown inFig. 7 at 18 18. In this form of the device one end of the sleeve 2projects into the bell-mouth, and its end edge is slightly upset or bentoutwardly by any convenient tool, so that a ring 19, of any suitablepacking material, may be inserted for the purpose of preventing themolten lead from entering between said sleeve and the pipe while thelead is being poured. A gasket 20 abuts against the projecting end ofthe sleeve and has a gate or opening 21, formed with its upper edge,through which the molten lead may be poured into the groove 18 and theSpace between the inner sleeve and the jacket. A space or recess 22 isformed between the gasket 20 and the shoulders of the bell-mouth, whichspace is filled with lead, as hereinafter explained. The oppositebell-mouth end of the jacket is partially filled with a packing 23 andfitted with a gasket 24, as in the form here inbefore described. Thelead being poured through the gate 21 runs along the grooves 18 and intothe space between the inner sleeve and the jacket, completely fillingthe same and forming an intermediate lead sleeve, as heretoforedescribed. As the molten lead reaches the opposite end it runs over thepacking 23 into the space 2%, filling the space and forming a solidgasket of lead. The molten lead also fills the recess 22, forming asolid gasket in the bell at this end of the jacket.

As the sleeve 2 is simply employed to prevent the molten lead fromrunning into the crack or fracture in the pipe, it Will be evident thatit may be dispensed with and the crack or fracture filled with a puttyof clay or other suitable material, and therefore I do not wish to belimited to the use of the sleeve in practicing my invention.

' The invention is equally adapted for stopping leaks in soil-pipes, inwhich case the sleeve is not employed, as the crack or fracture may bereadily filled with putty or clay, there being no fluid-pressure in thepipe.

It will be seen that leaks in either water or gas pipes may beeffectually stopped by my improved device without removing a section ofthe pipe and without the employment of skilled labor.

Various modifications or any changes may be made in the detailconstruction of my invention without limiting the scope thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for stopping leaks in pipes, the combination with a pipe,of a jacket or casing having enlarged or bell-shape ends, anintermediate filling of lead, and lead gaskets, cast integral with thelead filling, seated in the enlarged or bell-shape ends of the jacket.

2. In a device for stopping leaks in pipes, the combination with a pipe,of a jacket or casing having enlarged or bell-shape ends, packing insaid enlarged ends, an intermediate lead filling or sleeve, and leadgaskets, cast integral with said sleeve, seated in the outer ends of theenlarged ends of the jacket.

3. A device for stopping leaks in pipes, consisting of an inner sleeve,a jacket or casing, an intermediate sleeve or filling of lead, and endgaskets of lead integral with the lead sleeve or filling.

4. A device for stopping leaks in pipes, consisting of an inner sleeve,a jacket or casing having bell-shape ends, an intermediate sleeve orfilling of lead, and lead gaskets in the bell ends integral with thelead sleeve.

5. In a device for stopping leaks in pipes, the combination of an innersleeve, a jacket or casing having bell ends and longitudinal groovesinits inner face, a pouring-orifice, an intermediate sleeve of lead, andend gaskets of lead integral with the lead sleeve.

6. In a device for stopping leaks in pipes, the combination of an innersleeve, a sectional jacket or casing having enlarged ends and internalgrooves running from the center toward each end, a pouring-orifice, aninner sleeve of lead, and end gaskets of lead integral with the leadsleeve.

7. In a device for stopping leaks in pipes, thecombination of an innersleeve, a jacket or casing composed of twosections, each section havingenlarged ends and internal longitudinal grooves, an intermediate sleeveof lead, a gasket havinga gate therein, and end gaskets of lead integralwith the lead sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

his THOMAS P. X FITZGERALD.

- mark Witnesses r L. M. Go'rwALD, ALBERT MARKs.

